Adams Earns Dubious Distinction

Darren Dreifort avoided being linked with Barry Bonds--Terry Adams was not as fortunate.

The Dodger reliever will forever be mentioned with the future hall of famer after giving up Bonds’ 500th home run Tuesday night--a two-run, eighth-inning shot that gave the San Francisco Giants a 3-2 victory before a sellout crowd of 41,059 at Pacific Bell Park.

With the Giants trailing, 2-1, and Bonds on deck, Rich Aurilia led off with a triple to right-center against Adams.

Bonds, hitless in three at-bats against Dreifort, connected on a 2-and-0 slider from Adams.

Bonds’ sixth homer of the season gave the Giants the lead and ignited a raucous celebration in the largest crowd to attend a game at the ballpark.

Play was stopped for nine minutes as Bonds was honored on the field for becoming the 17th member of the 500-homer club.

Adams (0-1), who relieved starter Dreifort in the seventh, then retired the side in order.

“I don’t care about his personal achievement. He can have that to himself,” Adams said of Bonds. “My job is to help us win ballgames and the only thing I’m going to lose sleep about is that we lost.”

The Giants got the potential tying run at third against Giant closer Robb Nen.

Pinch-hitter Chris Donnels, hitting for Adams, walked and Tom Goodwin ran for him. Goodwin stole second and advanced to third when no one covered second and catcher Benito Santiago’s throw went into center.

But leadoff batter Marquis Grissom grounded out against a drawn-in infield, and Nen struck out Mark Grudzielanek and Gary Sheffield to end the game and nail down his third save.

Reliever Felix Rodriguez (1-0) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for the victory.

Sheffield put the Dodgers ahead, 2-1, in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Grissom.

Grissom singled with one out, went to second when Giant starter Shawn Estes balked and on to third on Grudzielanek’s infield single.

Sheffield then drove in his 10th run in the last six games, lifting a ball to right to drive in Grissom.

The Giants’ fans appeared eager to celebrate from the outset, but Dreifort delayed the party’s start.

They stood as Bonds came to the plate in the first, but the all-star left fielder struck out swinging with runners on the corners and Jeff Kent on deck. Kent delivered a run-scoring single to tie the score, 1-1.

Bonds sparked excitement in his next at-bat, sending left fielder Sheffield to the warning track in the third, but Sheffield made the catch about a foot from the wall.

Dreifort faced Bonds for the final time in the sixth, and again Bonds went quietly, grounding to first.

Adams relieved Dreifort after he walked Russ Davis with one out in the seventh, and Santiago’s line drive handcuffed shortstop Jeff Reboulet to put runners on first and second.

But Adams struck out pinch-hitter Eric Davis and induced an inning-ending grounder from Marvin Benard to preserve the one-run lead.

After a poor season-opening start, Dreifort had his second consecutive strong performance.

“Everyone did their jobs tonight,” Dreifort said. “[Adams] came in and got me out of a jam.

“Paul Lo Duca did a great job behind the plate, called a great game and Sheff made a great catch against the wall.”

The right-hander gave up four hits and one run in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two while throwing 60 strikes in 99 pitches, working well with batterymate Lo Duca.

Estes fared better than in his last start against the Dodgers.

The left-hander threw an effective six innings, giving up nine hits and two runs in a 115-pitch, 68-strike outing.

Estes walked one and struck out eight after having given up four homers April 6 in the Dodgers’ 10-1 victory at Dodger Stadium.

*

Manager Jim Tracy spoke with embattled Dodger General Manager Kevin Malone on Monday, and the topic of Saturday’s verbal altercation with a San Diego Padre fan never came up.

“I spoke with him regarding injuries and rehabs and there was no mention of it,” Tracy said. “The first I heard of it was in the newspaper this morning. I didn’t know.”

Tracy declined to elaborate on his personal feelings on the matter.

“For me to have any type of comment without knowing all of the particulars,” he said, “wouldn’t be fair.”

*

Adrian Beltre, sidelined after a pair of abdominal surgeries, has started hitting off a tee and has gained six pounds.

Beltre, who underwent an appendectomy Jan. 12 in his native Dominican Republic, underwent a second surgery, in Los Angeles, on March 12 to repair the botched operation. His mother has been with him for the last few weeks to help him recuperate.

“Slowly but surely, with some of his mom’s home cooking, he’s getting some of [his weight] back,” Tracy said.

*

Coach Manny Mota, 63, underwent an appendectomy Monday. He did not join the team in San Francisco and is resting at Centinela Medical Center.